TGNP: We need to fight sexual corruption

TANZANIANS have been urged to eliminate sexual harassment at work places that for years has affected women, leading them to lose their jobs when they decent such demands.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, TGNP Mtandao Executive Director Lilian Liundi stressed that it would be difficult for Tanzania to achieve Millennium Development Goals (SDGs) and industrial economy if there are no efforts to fight gender-based violence, and especially sexual corruption at work places.

Lilian was speaking at the event to commemorate 16 days of sexual violence, where she said that sexual violence in society affects development, undermines women dignity, and also reduces the morality of work in various areas.

"According to the Tanzania Judges Association (TAWJA), one of the challenges facing Tanzanian women when looking for employment they are asked for sexual corruption. This has brought back their progress and it also undermines their basic rights to employment,” she said.

Most victims of sexual corruption are mothers, relatives, children, girls, or fellow workers at workplaces, leading others to die early after contracting HIV/Aids.

Lilian called on the participants to join the other women's rights activists and gender equality groups to strongly oppose such actions because sexual corruption is the violation of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Act number 11 of 2007.

The Act clearly states that a woman who is asked for sexual corruption in order to be offered employment should report to PCCB or other relevant offices to ensure that the culprit is arrested and arraigned.

Tanzania has adopted a number of agreements aimed at guaranteeing gender equality, women empowerment, and also protecting them from violence and other forms of violence.

They include the National Vision,Women Anti-Violence, the Beijing Declaration and the Action Plan, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the SADC's Gender Equality Agreement and the Supplementary Prohibition on Abolition of Violence and discrimination against women and children (CRC) and the Five-Year National Development Plan.

Despite the existence of a constitutional law on equality between women and men, said Lilian, this equality has not yet been achieved in ensuring that women are always legally entitled to their rights.

Lilian stressed the importance of improving the employment environment and relations between employer and employees to eradicate gender violence at workplaces.

There is also the need to maximize productivity in sustainable development, promote and protect women's dignity by eliminating sexual harassment, and increase confidence in women, economic development promotion, and enhancement in the expansion of Tanzania's manufacturing and eradicating sexual corruption, to give women decent job opportunities.